That’s a tablespoon of Dutch in his lilt, thanks to three years in Netherlands’ top pro league. Add German to the mix because he also played in the Bundesliga.

Don’t forget Italian. The well-traveled American played in Serie A until this year when he returned to Major League Soccer with Toronto FC.

Bradley, 26, seems to adapt no matter where he lands, which is why the United States will rely on him Monday in Natal, Brazil, in its World Cup opener against Ghana.

“As you get older you understand the game that much better,” he said last month at Stanford. “You have an ability to step on the field and understand what is needed and just go for it.”

What isn’t needed from the son of former U.S. coach Bob Bradley? He is the player the United States counts on the most, a role once the sole province of Landon Donovan, who failed to make this year’s team.

“All eyes are on Michael,” said John Ellinger, who coached Bradley in the U.S. residency program. “As he goes, we go.”

By all accounts, the United States won’t go far without Bradley performing at his peak. He’s arguably the best central midfielder this nation has ever produced.

“I try to do as much as possible to help the team, whether it’s scoring goals, setting up goals, winning tackles or intercepting balls,” he said. “When you look around the world now, midfielders who can do everything are so important for their team. That’s what I try to do.”

Coach Jurgen Klinsmann must figure out what formation best accentuates the talents of the 6-foot-1 midfielder. But whatever the coach wants, Bradley seems up to the task.

“I embrace it, absolutely,” he said. “To be a player that is counted on by his coaches and his teammates to make a difference, to make plays, to be a leader — the challenge of all that excites me.”

Bradley exhibited leadership last week after watching Ghana dismantle South Korea 4-0 in a warm-up game. He downplayed the easy victory publicly in what seemed to be an effort to calm teammates.

The United States has what many consider a must-win game to open the 2014 World Cup in the strongest of the eight groups. With only two teams advancing to the knockout stage, the Americans need all three points a victory would bring.

The United States will be decisive underdogs in its next games against powers Portugal and Germany. Ghana, however, is the nation that has given the Americans the most trouble in recent World Cups.

The Black Stars defeated the United States 2-1 in the final group game in 2006. Ghana also eliminated the Americans four years later in the second round with a stoppage time goal leading to another 2-1 victory.

Bradley was on the field for the 2010 defeat in South Africa with his father coaching the United States. But the midfielder warned against making too much of past results.

“I do think that it’s a different team than the one we played in 2010,” he told reporters in Sao Paulo. “I remember quite a bit about the game, for a majority of it we were the ones in control and pushing things.”

Notice the confidence in his words, how he tries to disquiet the fears. It’s not surprising to hear considering Bradley has a level of maturity few players experience.

“You see how he acts on the field, the calming effect,” Ellinger said. “He grew up in a household where he talked soccer every day.”

But Bob Bradley also let others take the lead in Michael’s development.

“When Michael was a youth player, they were not overbearing,” said David Richardson, who coached Bradley in Chicago.

Bradley’s tutelage with a variety of coaches helped in creating a strong bond with the man who replaced his dad on the national team.

Klinsmann took over when Bob Bradley — who went to coach Egypt — was fired in 2011. Michael, in turn, has become Klinsmann’s most valued player. He publicly supported his coach last month when some players criticized the World Cup roster decisions.

“It’s shameful, and it’s embarrassing,” Bradley said. “You cross a line when you take those thoughts and you take your disappointments outside of the team.”

The post-game handshake between coaches Jack Del Rio of the Raiders and Andy Reid of the Chiefs eventually came off Thursday night, but it seemed for a while that there’s enough bad blood between the two that it might not happen. Once time ran out in the Chiefs’ 21-13 win that gave K.C. a leg up in the AFC West...